Xilinx, a specialist in adaptive computing, has introduced the Versal AI Edge series, designed to enable AI innovation from the edge to the endpoint.
With 4X the AI performance-per-watt versus GPUs1 and 10X greater compute density versus previous-generation adaptive system-on-chips (SoCs), Xilinx describes the Versal AI Edge series as “the world’s most scalable and adaptable portfolio for next-generation distributed intelligent systems”.
Versal AI Edge adaptive compute acceleration platforms (ACAPs) deliver intelligence to a wide range of applications including automated driving with the highest levels of functional safety; collaborative robotics; predictive factory and healthcare systems; and multi-mission payloads for the aerospace and defense markets.
The portfolio features AI Engine-ML to deliver 4X machine learning compute compared to the previous AI Engine architecture and integrates new accelerator RAM with an enhanced memory hierarchy for evolving AI algorithms. These architectural innovations are said to deliver up to 4X AI performance-per-watt versus GPUs and lower latency resulting in far more capable devices at the edge.
AI-enabled automated systems require high compute density that can accelerate whole applications from sensor to AI to real-time control. According to Xilinx, Versal AI Edge devices achieve this by delivering 10X compute density versus Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoCs, enabling more intelligent autonomous systems. Additionally, Versal AI Edge devices support multiple safety standards across industrial (IEC 61508), avionics (DO-254/178), and automotive (ISO 26262) markets, where vendors can meet ASIL C random hardware integrity and ASIL D systematic integrity levels.
Sumit Shah, senior director, product management and marketing at Xilinx, said: “Edge computing applications require an architecture that can evolve to address new requirements and scenarios with a blend of flexible compute processing within tight thermal and latency constraints.
“The Versal AI Edge series delivers these key attributes for a wide range of applications requiring greater intelligence, making it a critical addition to the Versal portfolio with devices that scale from intelligent edge sensors to CPU accelerators.”
Dan Mandell, senior analyst, IoT and Embedded Technology at VDC Research, said: “The market opportunity at the edge is growing exponentially and AI chipsets that serve these unique applications are expected to more than double from 2021 to 2025.
“By creating a design for AI-specific tasks that focuses on performance acceleration while remaining scalable and with low power, Xilinx’s Versal AI Edge series is a compelling solution to address these critical markets.”
